Explosive.



a and silica inan BEST AVAILABLE COPY JAMES 1i. O'BRIEN, OF CHICAGO,ILLINOIS.

EXPLOSIVE.

No Drawing.

Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed June 3, 1912. SerialNo. 701,257.

Patented Aug. 19, 1913.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JAMES F. OBRIEN, a citizen of the United States,cago, in the county of Cook, State of Illinois, have invented new anduseful Improvements in Explosives, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to variations and improvements in my explosivesrate carbohydrate class for which I hav filed variousapplications forUnited States 'Letters Patent important among which are my applicationsentitled Explosives, filed Sept. 5, 1911, bearing S. N. 647,474; filedSept. 20, 19-11, bearing S. N. 650,373; filed Oct. 2, 1911, hearing S.N. 652,390; filed Oct. 21, 1911, bearing S. N. 656,529; filed January11, 1912, bearing S. N. 670,645; filed Feb. 19, 1912, hearing S. N.678,708. In these applications I have claimed in general an explosiveconsisting of a chlorate of an alkali metal, a carbohydrate,

and a s-ilico-aluminous material, the last being preferably brick dust.In the said applioations I have described general variations of myfundamental broad conception, using various carbohydrates and otheringredients in various proportions. I have found by repeated experimentsthat I am enabled to use silica (silicon dioxid) to great advantage insome of my explosives in the place of the brick dust or burnt clayformula set forth ;1 and it is the object of this application to setforth my explosives and to claim the combination of silica therein. Ihave found that I am able to use silica in practically every situationwhere I have heretofore used a silico-aluminous material; and

the simplest formula for a silica explosive is practically thecounterpart of the simplest form of a silico-aluminous explosive. F orinstance, I may use potassium chlorate and carbohydrate in amount up toapproximately fifty per cent. of the total explosive. Atypical formulawould be as follows:

Potassium chlorate 45 parts. Carbohydrate 15 Silica 40 I may vary thecarbohydrates to suit con ditions. I may use any form of sugar, starch,molasses, cereal flour or any similar or equivalent substances. Eachdiflerent carbohydrate has certain advantages (over residing at (11 iofthe chlo-, I

described and the proportion three to one the others and I may use anyof them as circumstances require. For instance, I find it veryconvenient to use molasses, as thatmaterial imports into the combinationsufficient moisture for working all of the ingredients ing them beforefinally drying and preparlng for shipment. In some cases I finditgreatly advantageous to use starch, either in pure form or as carried bycereal flour.

When using cereal flour I use a larger proportlon of flour than is setforth in the above certain ingredients other than pure starch. But theseother ingredients of the flour are not at all detrimental to the actionof the explosive; it being supposed that the silica enters into certainreactions with them which increases the total explosive energy.

The amount of silica may somewhat vary.

periments and commercial use that, the addition of the silica to theother ingredients increases the total energy of the explosive. Althoughan excessive amount of silica will greatly decrease the energy per unitWeight of the explosive, I find it practicable to add even as muchsilica as the total of all other parts without greatly decreasing theexplosive energy per unit weight. But the silica does import into thecomplete combination a certain additional explosive energy; and theproportional additional energy due to the silica is greater than theproportional additional cost thereof, so that the silica explosive ismore energetic, cost for cost, than a similar explosive without thesilica.

Throughout all of the different forms of my explosive I maintain thegeneral three to one relation between the chlorate and the carbohydrate;but the ratio of these combined ingredients may vary with the silica andother ingredients of the explosive.

different forms of my explosive:

1. Potassium chlorate 45-parts. Sugar 15 Silica 40 Potassium chlorate 45parts. Starch 15 Silica 4O I have found by repeated and exhaustive ex-'I here give some typical formulas for the into a homogeneous mass andfor granulatformula for carbohydrate, the flour having 45 omyinmanufacture.

Potassium chlorate material or matter. for coatingor insulating thepowder granules, a binder, .or .anyiother.

' subsidiary substances. For instance, I find it desirable infsome casesto use crude oil insm 'll amounts; as a binder, this ingredient I be ngof such nature as tobe readily contheexplosive reaction.

'In the above formulas where I have given 2 the proportions of molassesand cereal flour ,the relative weights-0f these ingredients are suchasto, make their pure carbohydrate content one'third of the chlorateweight.-

Generally speaking, the manufacture of sumed and to enter at leastpartially into my silica explosive is carried on in a .very

simple manner Without the necessity of heating any of the ingredients.Where sugar isiused it is sometimes necessary to first dissolve it,preferably cold, in sufiicient 0 waterand to then mix the chlorate withthe solution. Heat may be used but this is not necessary. In themolasses and starch forms there'is required no -heat whatever; and it isone of the greatly advantageous features 32; of my explosive that, inthe form manufactured'for commercial use, there is no requirement forheat or fire within the whole powder .plant. I have generallydistinguished my explosive to the trade as being 40 one, in the use ofwhich the blastingcap was not used, manufactured by a cold, frictionlessand non-confined process, these being. the great advantages of myexplosive as set forth, aside from the feature of econinstance,' theform containing molasses, the chlorate and silica are first placed bygravity in a special mixing machine and the molasses slowly distributedby dropping from a molasses container throughout the mass. Themixingmachine thoroughly mixes does not deteriorate by exposure.

powder of having a total When making, for- I the three ingredients intoa homogeneous mass. The mass is then passed by gravity to the granulatorwhere it is subdivided into small particles and is then passed to aninsulator where it may be coated with graphite or any other suitablematerial. A drying operation then finishes the powder rea y forcommercial use.

' In point of explosive energy, the herein described explosive compareswell with sixty per cent. to eighty per cent. dynamite, depending uponthe exact formula followed.

.It canno't be detonated by concussion, jar, shock'or' vibration unlessheat suflicient for i 'ition is generated; neither can it be exp odedbyignition when unconfined. It needs ignition (heat) in a confined spacein order to detonate. It'is thoroughly safe to handle and And finally,it hasthe great advantage of ex ploding in such manner as to localizeits effects; that is, vit does not detonate. after the manner ofnitro-gylcerin and other high explosives, but rather after the manner ofa slow burning powder. But it has the advantage over the ordinary slowburning energy comparable with that of the best dynamite.

I-Iaving described my invention, I claim: 1. An explosive, consisting ofa chlorate of an alkali metal, a -carbohydrate, and

silica.

2. An explosiveIconsistingof a chlorate I of an alkali metal andcarbohydrate in the approximate proportions three to one, and silica.

3. An explosive, consisting of a chlorate of an alkali metal, starch,and silica.

4. An explosive, consisting of potassium chlorate,- a carbohydrate, andsilica.

5. An explosive, consisting of potassium chlorate and starch in theapproximate proportions three to one, and silica.

In witness that I claim the foregoing 'I 5 have hereunto subscribed myname this 24th day of May 1912.

JAMES F. OBRIEN.

lVitnesses JEROME MONABB, ELWOOD H. BARKELEW. 1

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

